Maplewood Committee for Servicemen and Servicewomen makes generous donation

In September, Durand-Hedden House & Garden Association Board Members were honored to host members of the Maplewood Committee for Servicemen and Servicewomen as they made a generous donation to the Association. The funds will be used to further Durand-Hedden's mission of making our shared local history exciting and relevant for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Photo credits: Eve Morawski of Durand-Hedden.

First photo, from left to right: Gail Safian, President of Durand-Hedden; John Dilley, Jr., Maplewood Committee for Servicemen and Women; Donna D'Amato, Treasurer, Maplewood Committee for Servicemen and Women; Henry Wallhauser, Maplewood Committee for Servicemen and Women.

Honoring Juneteenth

The celebration honoring Juneteenth co-hosted by the Durand-Hedden House and the SOMA Community Coalition on Race on the grounds of the Durand-Hedden House, drew more than 500 people of all ages, and smiles covered faces from one end of Grasmere Park to the other. The afternoon featured four historical reenactors, a storyteller, children’s activities, a vocalist, and a band of African drummers, as well as an exhibit on the History of Slavery in New Jersey and an art exhibit.

This is the third major Juneteenth event the two organizations have sponsored since 2019, and the excitement has been growing each year. It even drew the attention of NBC-TV news, which featured the celebration on the news that evening.

The historical reenactors included:

• Daniel Carlton, portraying John Parker, a formerly enslaved person who became a conductor on the Underground Railroad

• Dr. Daisy Century, interpreting Cathay Williams, the first Black woman to join the US Army

• Teretha Jones, reenacting Mrs. Elizabeth Keckley, seamstress and confidante to Mary Todd Lincoln

• Algernon S. Ward, reenacting a sergeant in the 6 th Regiment US Colored Troops

Exploring African American Foodways

Honoring Black history is important to the Durand-Hedden House, and over the years we have had many programs on important African Americans like abolitionist Harriet Tubman and Thomas Mundy Peterson, the first Black man to cast a vote in New Jersey, and topics like the sites of the Underground Railroad in our state.

On Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, we were honored to have local Chef Jesse Jones demonstrate and talk about African American foodways at our 18th-century hearth. Chef Jesse's culinary DNA was developed during childhood summers in North Carolina, where his grandmother's cast iron stove was the source of many memorable food experiences. Today, he continues to be influenced by her legacy, bridging past and present through interpreting classic southern dishes with French techniques. Visitors also were able to view an exhibit on African Americans who led the fight for women’s suffrage.